Practical guidance to help small business owners grow their businesses with integrity
Author: Susan Elizabeth Ball
Unlock the transformative power of faith with Susan Ball, author of the acclaimed Christian Bible study, 'Honoring God with Your Money,' and the captivating trilogy of Christian novels: 'Restorations,' 'Reconciliations,' and "Letters to Mother from College." Delve into timeless wisdom that enriches lives. Beyond writing, Susan brings her expertise as a small business consultant and draws from her experience as a former pizza restaurant owner. Embrace her unique perspective as a devoted wife, mother, and proud grandmother of 8. Explore Susan Ball's inspiring works on Amazon and embark on a journey of spiritual growth and personal fulfillment. Subscribe now to join a community dedicated to living with purpose and faith.
Access Susan Ball's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Susan-Elizabeth-Ball/author/B0047P60V2?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Bruce has three novels currently in print. I haven’t read them yet, but they all sound intriguing. I am particularly looking forward to reading Bruce’s two-volume series, A Prophet’s Tale. In these books, Bruce examines the world of Ninevah and Jonah’s struggles with obeying God’s command to preach repentance to the Ninevites. For more information on Bruce Judisch and his writing, please see http://www.oaktara.com/BruceJudisch.
If you would like to read a sample of Reconciliations, please email me at susan@susaneball.com. I would be happy to email you the first few chapters, so you can decide if you want to read the book.
Groundhog Day was my great-grandmother Loflin’s favorite holiday. I have no idea why she was so fascinated with this day. It’s really not a holiday at all, but rather a celebration. I do remember vividly how excited Grandma Loflin would be to find out Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction for the end of winter. Ironically, she died on Groundhog Day 1963. After all these years, the arrival of February 2nd always makes me think of her.
Phil Connors and Punxsutawney Phil
In 1993, the movie Groundhog Day was made starring Bill Murray. As soon as I heard of it, my interest was piqued and it quickly became one of my favorites. I love watching Murray’s character, Phil Connors, transform from a selfish, womanizer into a warm, caring individual.
Against his opposition, Connors is assigned to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. A major snowstorm forces the crew to spend another night in the small town. Connors awakens to find that it is again Groundhog Day. He is forced to relive Groundhog Day repeatedly, with seemingly no end. He reacts initially with anger, violence, and even by committing suicide, only to reawaken to yet another Groundhog Day celebration.
Eventually Connors stops fighting his new reality and begins to change. He uses each new Groundhog Day to learn more about the members of his news team and to fall in love with the people of Punxsutawney. He becomes the polar opposite of what he had been. He genuinely cares for people and goes out of his way to help others. In fact, by the end, he is the most loved man in town.
The transformation of Phil Connors in Groundhog Day parallels the changes Christians undergo as God works to shape their lives in accordance with His Word and His plans for their lives. Removing negative qualities and replacing them with godly characteristics is the goal of the purification process God sends our way through tests and trials. In the book of James we are told, “the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:3, 4) And in Romans 5: 3, 4 we read “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Phil Connors went through a time of suffering and testing to become a man he was meant to be. God brings trials and tests to our lives to help us become the people he wants us to be. If we fail the test, He brings another one our way. As we pass each test, we become more mature and take another step toward completion. The trials refine our character and increase our hope in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
It took Phil Connors a long time to grow and mature into a warm, caring man. I pray that I respond to God much more quickly and that I allow the trials God sends my way to refine and purify me.
Last year I heard about the “My One Word” challenge on my local Christian radio station. The idea is that instead of creating a list of resolutions, which are generally broken and long-forgotten by the time February 1st rolls around, we should choose a word to focus on for the year. The originators of this idea refer to it as an ‘experiment.’ Their web site states that choosing one word “provides clarity by taking all of your big plans for life change and narrowing them down into a single thing. One word focuses on your character and creates a vision for your future.” For more information on the My One Word experiment, you may go to their web site: http://myoneword.org/.
For 2011, I chose “Delight” to be my word. The scripture I focused on was “Delight yourself also in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 (NKJV). The last three years have been challenging, and at times draining, as we faced the loss of my husband’s job and resulting long-term unemployment and the declining health of his parents. The pressures of life had weighed heavily on me in 2009 and 2010. I was determined to not let them steal my joy.
I did none of the suggested exercises. My total commitment to the exercise was to write two blogs about my word. Yet, whenever I found myself getting bogged down by cares of the world, ‘Delight’ would pop into my mind. Just thinking the word gave me a better perspective. It is almost impossible to say or think the word ‘Delight’ without feeling a bit ‘delightful.’
As the year drew to a close, I once again read Psalm 37 during my devotions. This time it was the 23rd verse that caught my attention. It says, “The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He DELIGHTS in every detail of their lives.” What a joy it brought to my heart to be reminded that God delights in me and in everything that concerns me.
I can come to God with all the details of my life and He delights in guiding me to making the best decisions and the right choices. God will direct Steve and me as we continue to search for a new home (see January 17th post). He will guide me to be the best employee I can be and Steve as he continues to seek direction regarding earning a living. God cares about our marriage, our health, and our relationships. He is delighted when I bring these things to Him and He delights in helping me. And those thoughts fill me with ‘Delight’.
I am still praying and pondering ‘My Word’ for 2012. I plan to make a decision this week.
Will you participate in the ‘My One Word’challenge this year? What ‘one word’ will you focus on in 2012?
Three weeks ago, our oldest child awakened us with a 4 a.m. phone call to tell us he was in our local emergency room and was about to be transported to the burn center at Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. That was a scary phone call and one no parent wants to receive. Fortunately, his burn was relatively minor and he is healing just fine.
Last week he made his follow visit to the burn center. As he and his father sat in the waiting room, they were surrounded by patients who had been severely burned. My son later told me that he felt a bit foolish even being there when his burn was so minor.
In the waiting room were two men who had been engulfed in flames after a wood chipper they were welding blew up. The other two men with them were also severely burned and one of them did not survive the ordeal. After extinguishing the flames, one of the men had to place a 911 call. When help arrived, the men had to be transported 2 miles on foot to reach the helicopter that would take them to the burn center. The accident occurred last May and the men are still in considerable pain. They have had numerous surgeries and face more in the future.
Among the other patients was a child whose face had been burned. As a parent, it is horrifying to think about a child being severely burned and perhaps disfigured for life. This experience has made us very grateful that our son’s injury was so minor in comparison. It also reminds us that horrific accidents happen everyday. We never know when we or our loved ones will be involved in an accident that can alter their lives.
Our prayers go out to those who deal daily with the after effects of a severe accident. And we are grateful to God that He daily watches over and protects our loved ones. If such a tragedy should befall us, we are confident that God will be faithful to walk through the difficult times with us.
My husband and I have been house hunting for the past several months. When we decided it was time for a new house, we thought it would be easy. We knew just what we were looking for and we are so easy to please.
We simply want a house with a spacious kitchen, an open floor plan, and a decent size lot with some trees. That’s all we asked of our realtor.
Except…
Well, a big front porch would be nice. It would be even better if it has a long porch railing from which to hang Christmas lights. And a pretty front door is a must.
And…
A sitting area in the master bedroom would be an added bonus. And we love it to have a vaulted ceiling and a large, walk in closet.
Also…
A large tub to soak in at the end of the day would be a plus. With a separate shower, of course. And double sinks. And a nice vanity area. And maybe a separate little room for the toilet.
And, of course…
It really should have a big den. A great room would be even better. We need to have a lot of seating when the family comes over to watch football games.
Did I mention that we’re not overly fond of white houses with black trim or yellow houses? Brick houses, however, are very nice.
I can’t imagine why we haven’t found what we want after six months of looking. Our realtor says we need to up our price range, but we’re certain she can find just what we’re looking for within our budget. I mean,
My heart always skips a beat when the phone rings at 4 a.m. No one calls at 4 a.m. with good news. Fortunately, most such middle-of-the-night phone calls turn out to be wrong numbers. Unfortunately, the call we received at 4 a.m. Wednesday morning was not a wrong number. It was our oldest son.
He begins the conversation with “Don’t freak out, but I’m in the emergency room.” Not a good start. But it can’t be too bad, can it, since he is able to make the phone call himself?
“I burned my hand on hot grease.” We breathe a sigh of relief. A burnt hand isn’t that bad.
“They’re transferring me to the burn unit at MCV.” Our hearts skip a beat. There is no way to put a positive spin on being transferred to a burn unit 50 miles away.
We hang up the phone and try to process the information we have just received. We begin imagining the worst possibilities. We shed a few tears, hold each other, and pray for our son.
We’ve never been to the university hospital in Richmond, so we call our local emergency room for directions. We are told that our son is still there and will be for another half hour, so we dress and rush over to see him. He seems fine except for the large bandage covering his right hand. “It’s not that bad,” he tells us; however, his nurse disagrees. “It’s pretty bad,” she whispers.
Soon after he arrives at MCV, the burn specialist declares that it really isn’t bad for a grease burn. He had been prepared to perform skin grafts but realizes that grafts will not be necessary. Praise God! However, it is 6 hours before they release him and only after he agrees to having a home health care nurse come to the house to perform wound care for the next couple of days.
The end prognosis is that he should heal fine, if the wound does not become infected. He is home-bound for the next 2 weeks to minimize the possibility of infection. We have been assured he will retain full mobility of his hand. We are unsure whether the hand will be scarred.
We are grateful to the doctors and nurses who treated our son, and we are thankful that he had the good sense to seek medical attention. Most of all, we thank God that He protected our son from permanent injury.
This 4 a.m. was a reminder that we never know what each day (or night) will bring. Even though our children are grown, they are still our children and we worry about them. And that will never change.
As the year draws to a close, I want to take some time to reflect on the way our lives changes in 2011 and to thank God for the blessings He bestowed on my family during 2011.
1) In November my husband was rehired by the employer who had laid him off 2 years and 10 months earlier. We are grateful that Steve is once again employed and that God sustained us financially during the extended period of unemployment.
2) In May all three of our sons received a college degree—one earned a Master’s degree, one completed his Bachelor’s degree, and the other received an Associate’s degree. We are very proud of them for their hard work and perseverance in achieving their goals.
3) My husband and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary with a two-week trip to Alaska. I am thankful for my wonderful husband and the love we have shared for more than 3 decades.
4) Our precious grandson turned 1 in July. It is a joy to watch him grow and learn new skills every day. He has a wonderful nature and is a delight.
5) Mother’s Day brought the news that we would have another grandchild. We were delighted to welcome a baby girl to our family yesterday. It was a special blessing as it has been 118 years since a girl was born into my husband’s family.
6) All of my sons are employed in jobs. As an added bonus, they all enjoy their jobs and are doing well at them.
7) I love my job but I didn’t love the commute. Althoug only 16 miles, it frequently took me an hour or more to get home. Two weeks ago our office relocated into town and much closer to home. The new location is more convenient to shopping and home, plus I have awesome views of our city.
8) My second novel was published in the fall. The first novel did not sell many copies, but my publisher believed in the second one enough to redesign the cover of the first novel. So far, the second one is not selling at all. However, I have faith that God will bless my writing and that my novels will touch and enrich lives.
9) We moved my mother-in-law to live in our community. She is in a nursing home where she gets the round-the-clock care she needs and where she can regularly be visited by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
10) We were able to sell a piece of property that we had been trying to get rid of for the past two years. We were then able to help our son and daughter-in-law to purchase their first home.
2011 was not all emotional highs and good times; there were some disappointments and sad times as well. A much beloved aunt passed away with no notice, we endured many months of job searching and wondering if my husband would ever be employed again, and we dealt with my mother-in-law’s declining health. But through it all, we could see God’s hand of blessing. He has seen of through many challenging times and we know that He will be with us in whatever situations arise in our lives in 2012.
In what ways did God bless you and your family in 2011? Please take a moment to reflect and share the ways God blessed you.
May your 2012 be filled with God’s blessings and the love of family and friends.
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”
Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
These words written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow during the Civil War are still true today. Hate is strong and peace is not found in the world. Yet, it is possible to be at peace and to find peace and forgiveness in your heart. True peace comes only from knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ as a human baby. Jesus left his home in Heaven and willing came to Earth to live as among us and to sacrifice His life for us. Without Christmas, there would be no Easter—no death on the cross, no resurrection, no hope of salvation.
This is the good news the angels spoke about when they announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior is born to you: he is Christ the Lord…Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2: 10 –11, 14)
As you celebrate Christmas in a few days, I pray that the true meaning of Christmas will bring joy and peace to your heart. If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior, there is no better time to invite Him into your heart.
Many people take time on Thanksgiving to count their blessings and give thanks, yet they forget to thank the One from whom they have received their blessings. Thanksgiving is a day to thank God for the blessings He has bestowed on us and our nation. As you gather around your Thanksgiving feast today, I encourage you to take a moment to thank God for all He has done for you.
I’d like to share a few of the many, many blessings God has bestowed on me.
1)My large, wonderful family. I am blessed with an amazing family. We currently number 39 with two babies on the way.
This is most of my family at the time of Jon and Ashley's wedding.
2) A wonderful church family. We are members of a spirit-filled, God-loving congregation. Each week we hear an inspired message from God’s word, and I have the opportunity to minister to children through Girls Ministries and children’s church.
Some of the beautiful girls in Girls Ministries
3) A great job that I love. In a time when so many, including my husband, have been unemployed for long periods of time, I am thankful that I have a job with great benefits that I enjoy. I am rewarded each day as I help individuals desiring to start a business to assess their options, evaluate the opportunities, and navigate the requirements for opening a business.
4) The freedoms afforded us in our great nation. It’s true that our nation is facing many challenges and that many of our religious freedoms have been restricted in recent years. However, America is still “the land of the free and the home of the brave” and I am proud to be a citizen of this great nation.
5) All the comforts of a middle-class lifestyle. We aren’t rich, but in comparison to most of the world, we are extremely wealthy. I am thankful to have a warm home, plenty of food, and more clothing than I really need. All of my necessities are met and most of my wants.
6) The ability to share my blessings with others. Opportunities present themselves each day to share the blessings God has bestowed on me and my family with others who have not been blessed as much materially. It is a privilege and a joy to sponsor a child in the Dominican Republic, to donate food to locate food distribution ministries, to pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, and to take advantages of other opportunites to bring hope and joy to those from whom life is more challenging.
When you count your blessings this day, I pray that you will be filled with joy, hope, and thankfulness and that you will remember to thank the One who has so blessed you.
“Let us come before him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 95:2
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”
What blessings are you most thankful for this Thanksgiving?
Millions of laid-off workers are still unemployed and would like nothing better than for their former employers to call and offer them their old jobs back. This is the situation my husband has been in for most of the last three years.
After sending out countless resumes and going on a few interviews, he was still unemployed. We’d examined many options for a second career for him. We kept coming up empty. The bottom line was, he liked his former job and he was good at it. His preferred option was for his former employer to re-hire him, even if it was only part-time or if it involved a pay cut.
Three weeks ago he got the call he had been hoping and praying for. His former company has some projects right now that they need his help on. There is no guarantee that they’ll still need him in a few months, but for now, we are grateful that he has work.
Steve took care when he was laid-off to maintain his work relationships and not burn his bridges. I am sharing the following tips from my observations of my husband’s journey back to re-employment in the hopes that they may help someone who is in the midst of the difficult situation Steve was in.
1) Understand your employer is having a difficult time too. You company is laying off workers in an effort to save their company. Your employer did not cause the current economic crisis. The company is a victim just as much as you are.
2) Be grateful for the opportunities your former employer gave you while you worked there. Speak positively of your former employer at job interviews. Even if you never want to work for your former company again, you may need a reference from your old boss. Also, companies that are hiring are looking for employees with positive attitudes.
3) Keep in touch. Drop by or call from time to time. Let your former boss know you are still looking for work. A door may open for you to go back to work at your old job, or your former boss may know someone who is hiring. Steve occasionally went out to lunch with his former boss and the few employees who had been retained. He wasn’t a stranger and they didn’t forget about him.
4) Don’t hold a grudge. When Steve’s boss called to let him know his help was needed, Steve was glad to go back. Steve was never angry with the employees who were not laid off. He was grateful that they kept their jobs. When there was some work for Steve to do, his former co-workers were happy to have him re-hired.
5) Volunteer to help out without the expectation of pay. While unemployed, Steve offered to help his former employer put together a few job proposals with the understanding that Steve would be hired to do the work if they got the jobs. Unfortunately the company did not get most of those jobs and Steve did not get paid for his time. However, working on the proposals kept Steve’s job skills sharp and earned him his employer’s gratitude. When a job did come through, Steve was called back to work.
6) Give a little. Steve offered to work for 5% less than his previous rate and without benefits. That made it easier for his employer to afford to hire him back. Taking a pay cut might not be easy, but it is a whole lot better than receiving no paycheck.
Have you been rehired after being laid off? Please share any additional tips you have that might help others to regain their former jobs.
Fellow OakTara author Bruce Judisch reviewed my second novel, Reconciliations, in his blog yesterday: http://www.brucejudisch.blogspot.com/
Susan's Reflections 
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